Monday In Haiti--Shawn on His Way Home

Shawn and I started today at Marie’s. The girls were eating their breakfast—some kind of cornmeal soupy looking stuff in a Frisbee. They seemed to be enjoying it though. Shawn and I didn’t think it looked too appetizing.
We said hello to a friend who had returned from the countryside where he was living after the quake—Philistine is his name—good man, glad to see him. We then went in Marie’s car the Pastor Wislette’s orphanage. All was well there. They have a supply of food for now. They are all still sleeping outside, afraid to sleep in the orphanage. They are sleeping in a 10x20 foot area (35 of them) that is normally used as a classroom. Blue tarps and 2x4’s make up the shelter. There are others from the neighborhood that are staying there too as many have lost their homes in this neighborhood as well. Shawn and I looked over the building and it looked good to us as unofficial engineers.
We then drove to the airport to see what the most recent story was with respect to getting out of PAP. Shawn had packed his bag just in case they said come on in, and that is exactly what they said. I said goodbye to my good friend Shawn and left him at the airport. He has been a great traveling companion and I am glad we shared this trip together. He would be flying out sometime today with other aid workers, not on any scheduled flight. They did not know when or what kind of plane—just that he was a US citizen and he wanted to leave PAP—he would get out sometime today—he will tell that story when he returns. His feet will be on US soil sometime today or tonight.
Marie and I and one of men (Rene) then drove into Port au Prince (PAP as I have used elsewhere). I thought it would good for Marie to see the devastation on such a wide scale—it would give her a much bigger picture than the local neighborhood she lives in. She said the destruction was much worse than she had imagined. She handled it well and I am glad we took the time to see how things are elsewhere.
There are still many tent cities everywhere. Small communities of neighbors in some areas and much larger communities in others. Many are afraid to go inside anywhere. Others have no homes to go to. We see many US troops moving around, especially near the airport. They are friendly faces and they speak English so I am happy to see them and try to shout to them THANKS when they are within hearing distance. I have not yet seen the more “permanent” refugee camps that had been set up (I hope) and I may not as they have been set up outside of PAP where there is more land. You may have more information on that than I do through CNN news broadcasts. I would describe PAP as peaceful and busy. Busy in that everyone going about their daily living whatever it is. Peaceful in that everyone seems friendly and I have not seen any outbreaks of fighting or violence in any form (other than road rage which is common everyday stuff here). Everyone we talk to has a story of death, destruction, and miracles. Every story I have heard from those who have lost everything, or have lost loved ones, ends with praising God for the ones that are spared and for the miracles that have been revealed. God bless them as they continue on.
The lines at the banks were all very long but orderly. People are receiving Western Union money orders from the state if they have relative there. Those who have bank accounts are waiting patiently to get some money.
I saw many USAID workers today who were Haitians being employed by USAID to help. They need the work and Haiti needs the help. Some were digging in the rubble for something or someone. Others were cleaning the streets and sidewalks of the rubble to allow traffic and pedestrians more room to move.
We returned from PAP to the destruction site and found the crew of 22 people shoveling the rubble off the Church roof (the orphanage floor). Lots of cleanup done on the roof and tomorrow starts with them breaking up the church roof which will be a harder job as it was constructed much stronger to support the second story. I will spend some time there tomorrow.
Thank you all for your support. I keep hearing stories from the folks back home who are working so hard on helping out in so many ways. I keep telling people here that they are not forgotten and that the world is watching. I hope that will continue well into the future because there is so much work to be done here. I don’t feel alone knowing that everyone there is doing something. Keep it up and thank you so much.